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Cleveland Indians: Projecting Francisco Lindor’s arbitration price tag

By Kyle Edmond

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 27: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians bats during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field on September 27, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 27: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians bats during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field on September 27, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 01: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a double to score A.J. Pollock #11, and Corey Seager #5, to take a 3-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers, during the fifth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium on October 01, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Mookie Betts

While Mookie Betts has since inked a lucrative 12-year deal worth $365 million, just a year ago he was in a near identical situation as Lindor. Going back a year in time, Betts was the same age as Lindor currently is and was just one year removed from an MVP season in Boston.

The 2019 season for Betts was an impressive one, being named an All-Star and leading baseball in runs scored with 135. At the plate he slashed an impressive .295/.391/.524 and logged 29 home runs on the season.

The massive season for Betts at the plate also carried into the field for the star player. Seeing time in all parts of the outfield for the Red Sox during the 2019 season, Betts was able to hold a .994 fielding percentage.

While Lindor is a great player, his numbers from 2020 aren’t near what Betts did in 2019 before his final arbitration deal. However, Betts’ 2017 numbers are rather similar. During that season, Betts’ slash line was more comparable at .264/.344/.459.

To give insight into the contract side of things, Betts struck a $27 million deal following his incredible 2019 season. This was quite the jump from his 2018 deal a few years earlier that came in at just $10.5 million.

Given Lindor’s history and ability, this arbitration deal could end up right between Betts’ 2020 and 2018 deals, which is exactly where his 2019 season landed. Following his MVP season, Betts earned $20 million through arbitration. Lindor hasn’t had an MVP season yet, but his value might not be too far off.

It’s also important to note that this deal was settled before going through the full arbitration process and the court.

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